“New Moon Night”
by AT Lander

When Marni crawled into bed, Rick hissed at the chill she brought with her. It was cold, and late, well past midnight in the Vermont winter.

“Yeah,” Marni bit out through chattering teeth. “Heater’s well and truly busted. Need a proper mechanic…”

Rick sighed and held his shivering mate to his chest. For all the Elders’ raving against human conveniences and how they made the pack soft, Rick was glad the Alpha would never budge on central heating in the mountain winter months.

Unfortunately, Marni was their Ms. Fix-it, and if she couldn’t get the heater working, they were in for a cold night.

“Why didn’t you Change?” He asked, pulling her in so she could bury her freezing face in his chest hair.

“New Moon.” The words came out muffled.

Of course. Marni had been human before, born without the Wolf in her blood, in her heart, and needed Luna’s light to change.

“I keep forgetting… you took to it so well,” he murmured, stroking her hair.

Rick could feel her smiling against his chest. The rest of the pack would never forget that she wasn’t ‘one of them’, after all, she’d won her place, strong and fierce as any of them when the moon shone down… strong even in her frail, human body, refusing to be cowed by anyone, no matter their blood or status.

Still, on nights like these, when Luna hid her face and there was nobody to see them, she allowed Rick to see her softer, more vulnerable side, let herself curl up against him and cling to his warmth.

“Here,” Rick said, nosing her hair and nudging her to turn around. Cuddled up under the blankets, her back to his chest, Rick called on the Wolf inside him.

He Changed, growing from six feet to nine, body bristling with thick, black fur. His nails and ears pointed, mouth becoming a muzzle and tail growing from the base of his spine.

It was his war form, all claws and teeth, built for blood and death… huge and almost comical in their small, solid bed. He curled up around her, mighty clawed foot-paws tucked up under the covers, a terrifying war machine of flesh, fur and sinew devoted to keeping his tiny mate warm.

Marni sighed, body relaxing as his warm solidity chased away the chill. Her shivers stopped, and she turned her head to kiss one furry bicep.

“Thank you,” she whispered, eyelids fluttering.

He squeezed her a little around the middle in response, nosing her hair and curling in closer to lick one ear. He couldn’t speak in this form, but he didn’t need to… his mate knew what he meant.

His mate knew he could smell her arousal, faint at first, but growing. He could taste it on her skin, the want there, shuddering through her.

They had made love in all their forms, but this configuration… it was a rare and special treat. The memories, the heat and strength of his embrace, they were making Marni’s breath come shorter, harder, nipples hardening against his arm and her wetness scenting the air.

Rick growled low in his throat, his cock responding to her lust. He wanted to thrust in, take her, make her scream for him as she did under the moon… but he had to be careful, gentle, slow. He was too big, too strong, and he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her.

He rocked up against her, cock slipping into the valley between her thighs, sliding along her sex. She moaned, rocking back against him, letting him slip back and forth along her opening.

She was growing wetter, slicker, he could taste it on the air.

They moved, slow and gentle but with building heat. Long minutes in the darkness, only moans and breathy gasps filling the air, until Marni nudged her legs apart.

“Rick…” she whispered, and that was all it took.

He rocked his hips back, then up, not wanting to let go of her. The first time, the second time, he missed, sliding his wet cock along her thigh…

The third time, his cock found her sex, rocking up into her hot, tight wetness.

Marni’s eyes closed, a breathy sigh escaping her. Her body went limp, sleepy and relaxed, trusting him to take care of her, and it made his heart ache like it was trying to break free of his massive chest.

He rocked his hips slowly, gently, sliding in one inch at a time. There was no need to rush or hurry… they had all the time in the world, for once.

When he bottomed out inside her, Marni let out a breathy little gasp.

Rick smiled against her hair and started to rock his hips, a slow, rolling rhythm that was less of a race towards orgasm and more of an idle stroll, luxuriating in each other’s company.

When he reached down to touch her clit, bring her off, Marni tugged at his arm to stop him.

“Too tired…” she murmured, stroking the fur of his forearm. “Just this… just you.”

He nodded, licking her cheek and resuming the gentle rolling of his hips, sinking into her tight, wet heat like he’d always belonged there. There was a sleepy smile on her face, one of utmost contentment, and Rick was falling in love again, for the thousandth time, always and forever and never enough.

When he clutched her tighter, eyes squeezed shut as his orgasm neared; Marni turned her head and brushed a kiss to his nose.

“Inside,” she whispered, “let me feel you, Rick.”

With a hoarse, low moan, Rick lost himself inside her, hot and deep and perfect.

It was a different kind of pleasure than their usual fierce couplings, but no less satisfying, filling him with a bone-deep contentment.

As her breathing slowed towards sleep and Rick’s mind drifted after her, he idly wondered if Luna would bless them with pups this time.

He would like that, he thought. Strong and fierce as their mother, but with a secret, hidden sweetness. A softness…

Born as they were, from a soft and gentle New Moon night.

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